IE GO: Legend of The Mist
by Birdincage2903
Summary: A prince from a noble country. A mysterious boy whose true identity is hidden by mist and dirt. What will happen when these two very different people encounter in a fateful place, a land of memory and mystery... And was this really just pure coincidence? Or had it been told before... Main: Takuran ; Sub: Masaran, Kyouten Warning: Rating may change...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Yeah I'm back with a new story, another multichapter one since I'm still stuck with ideas for the old one. ;P**

**Anyway, I have had ideas for this story for a while now and finally decided to give it a try. But this time, to take it easier on myself, my chapters will probably be a bit shorter than usual. But I hope the quality is still the same. ^^-**

**Ok then, hope you guys will like this Takuran story of mine. Please enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)**

* * *

The country of Baton, a place of peace and glamor, is the oldest and one of the most beautiful nations in the region. Everyplace is filled with laughter, everywhere people were living happy lives under the reign of their wise rulers. The king and queen are loved and respected by their people. That is Baton, a kingdom of justice and peace.

But like a saying said; there's an exception to every rule...

The country of Baton too, had a place that cut out from the rest... a place of mystery and unknown myths, the Mist Forest. Despite the old age of its land, the forest had existed long before the country was born. It was the darkest, but also most enchanting place in the region. No one knows what lies behind the mist that always floated around like a silent barrier protecting the sacred land. So despite it being one of the richest sources of green, not many people dared to come nearby. Many men had entered in curiosity, but they all returned with no memory of what they had seen or touched. Their minds were a hazy baffle between what was real and what was just a foggy illusion…

The mystery of Baton country, the place where everything began...

* * *

"Hey,_ what's your name?"_

_..._

_..._

"_I'm…"_

* * *

Deep under the shadow of a dark, humid cave inside the mystical forest, a small figure was sitting under a rock, curling himself up against the cold wall. The boy's long pink hair was dirty and spread all over his shoulders. His skin was covered in heavy bruises and red marks. He wore nothing but a ripped fabric around his waist that made him looked almost like a typical beggar or slave that could be found in the darkest alley of that poor country from the East, far away from such a noble place like Baton. Nevertheless, here he was, leaning himself against a side of the solid wall, trying to find warm from the coldest surface existed with his fetal body. The boy's lifeless azure eyes stared at the ground non-stop before they slowly closed down as the image of a beautiful woman appeared in his mind, a woman with the softest blonde hair and the prettiest blue eyes… She was calling his name with a gentle voice and beautiful smile. He could feel himself smiling back at her. She walked closer and closer to him. His face softened when he could feel her warmth. And the moment she was about to touch him, the illusion broke apart and he opened his eyes to feel the cold and hard surface of the cave again.

"Mother…"

The boy whispered out quietly with a sad voice as his half shut eyes glanced hazily at the dark forest. The wind was whistling loudly outside and the leaf started to fall down from the rumbling trees, drifting down along the flow of the air. The boy's azure eyes began to feel heavy again as another memory came back.

_He closed his eyes and his home flashed back to him, a small house in the middle of a beautiful rice field. The light from the sun shined brightly from above, decorating the place with such stunning color... a warm sight with his mother standing at the door, waving for him to come back from the middle of the field. He ran through the plants and to her side to allow her to hold him in her arms and walk into their home. They were both smiling. The plants around were almost sharing their happiness with their small grazing sounds... The door opened and light once again flashed into his face, making him squeeze his eyes... _

The boy opened his eyes from a drop of water falling on his face and found himself in the cave again. The boy shifted his body parts closer but the freezing feeling was still floating around the air. The wind outside got even stronger and was shifting the trees out of their poses with brutal force. He buried his face into his knees, trying to keep whatever left of the heat inside his body. The cold was starting to affect him as well as his body trembled under the low temperature. His eyes drifted down again as another light flashed by after darkness came...

_They were walking through the forest this time. He ran ahead as his mother barely grazed her feet elegantly along the grass from behind. He looked back at her laughing cheerfully before turning back. His feet suddenly stopped when he saw another boy standing only a few feet away. The boy was shorter, with blue hair and sharp golden eyes. It was his first time interacting with someone else other than his mother so he was stunned to say the least, and even more bewildered by the other's weird outfit. The boy looked almost like a hunter with his strange clothing and he was looking at him with such a piecing gaze and mysterious smile. A gasp sound was heard. He flinched when he heard his mother screaming his name, shouting for him to get away. He swiftly turned to see her dashing toward him. But before he could react, his eyes shot opened in shock when dozen of red strings flew out of the bushes and trees from all around and onto his mother, bringing her to the ground. He was about to rush to her side but let out a painful sound when hands got a hold him too, grabbing his hair from behind and forcing him down. He glanced back to see the blue hair boy pinning him on the ground with his sharp gaze fixed on his mother's direction. He struggled to get free and yell out frantically when he heard his mother's painful scream. Men appeared out of the bushes and jumped down from the trees, with the end of the red strings on their hands. The shorter boy whispered something devilishly in his ear that made him widened his eyes in shock, and his efforts to fight back were halted the moment that horrifying scene came to his sight…_

The boy flinched back to reality at the last part of the memory. His body was shaking in both fear and the freezing air. His once blank azure orbs were again filled with such dreadful emotions, but no matter how painful it was, there was simply no tear left to run from them. Another memory flashed back and the boy winced at an image of a dark figure closing in. He began gasping for air when he started to remember again... the pain and humiliation he had to go through until the day he was finally able to escape from that prison of hell… He ran far away, trying to find his way home. His feet bled in pain from all the strain but he still ran. They chased him. _He _chased him. The mist of the forest protected him, erasing his tracks and covering his blood... However, there was still a limit to how much the forest could do.

By the time he finally reached the field where he was born, it was already too late... They had already burned down everything. He watched as his home crunched down from the fire that spread through the field, turning everything to ass, along with the only place he had to return to.

The boy's body suddenly stopped moving and lay down numbly against the cold and hard surface. He slowly closed his eyes for the last time and wished they would never open again…

* * *

"Shindou sama! Shindou sama...!"

The twisted hair boy called out frantically as he dashed his horse towards the top of the hill. He yanked on the string to stop the horse and look around for someone. And when his eyes fell on a figure standing silently at the edge of the forest, only a few feet away from entering the most humid region of the Baton country, he jumped off his horse to rush near the wavy hair male.

"S-shindou sam-"

"I told you not to use such formality with me, Tenma…"

"E-eh right, Shindou sempai… Eh... Uhm… You're not really going to go in there... are you?"

The wavy hair male glanced at his younger companion for a moment before turning his brown eyes back to the foggy place.

_... Please..._

"The Mist Forest… as they call it huh…?"

The boy named Shindou said silently, his eyes never left the sight of the forest. For some reason ever since he set foot on this side of the country, the place had been giving out a strange vibe that only he could sense... The feeling kept sending shivers through his body that it was almost like the forest was calling him, silently begging for his presence...

The younger male's expression, however, couldn't fall more pale when he heard the vague but obvious statement. "S-shindou sa-senpai! Y-You shouldn't. You heard what the people in the village said… A-about the myth..."

The younger brunet said timidly as his voice died down at the end. He peeked up at the back of his friend.

_... Please come..._

"You mean the one about the evil creature sleeping inside the forest…? There's a reason why myth isn't usually true Tenma..." The older male said with a small laugh, seemingly not trusting the gossips of the villagers very much. "Although… I have to admit, this place has a strange aura about it… I want to look for myself…"

_... Only you... _

"B-but-"

The older boy finally sighed.

"Tenma… if I'm really going to become the ruler of this country someday, isn't it crucial that I know everything about it…?" The young prince said and jumped onto his own horse. "After all, that's why we have been going on this trip for these past few months right. This is the last place already Ten… I can't back out now can I…?" He smiled at his friend before shifting his eyes back to the forest again.

...

_Did it just call me again…?_

A silent thought passed by when another wave of feelings went through his body. He felt like his mind was being mesmerized more and more by the forest with each step he made closer to the mystical land. And yet, his heart was filled with anything but fear. The calling were too light and desperate that it only urged his desire to find out what was in the forest... Not being able to hold back the silent yearning wish inside him, the young prince immediately dashed his horse into the forest before Tenma could say anything else. Panic kicked in when the young male saw his prince rushed into such a seemingly dangerous place. He clumsily climbed onto his horse too and was about to follow his friend when suddenly both him and the horse were bounced back by the foggy mist surrounding the forest. The boy let out a painful sound when he crashed onto the ground. He sat up shakily, and flinched when he realized what just happened.

"No…"

His eyes widened in fear.

"SEMPAIIII!"

_... Only you can save him..._

* * *

**Well, this is it for now. I told you the chapters will be a bit shorter this time. **

**I hope it was good and please R&R ok. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, next chap is up! I'm really on the road here am I! Let see how long I can keep this pace up! ;P**

**Well I guess it is easier since the chapters are a bit shorter and my inspiration is overflowing this time. Hope I can keep it this high all the way. XD**

**And thank you so much everyone, for reading, liking, reviewing, all the favs and follows! They all means a lot to me and keep me from getting bored of writing. I love you all sooooo much! ^v^-**

**Well, enough with the babbling! Please enjoy…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)**

* * *

_The mist is getting heavier…_

The young prince thought silently as he rode his horse through a small road between the lines of trees and bushes. They went slowly further and further into the deep land without knowing what might be awaiting them insides. However, the sight of the animals and plants were all so lively, even under the fog, that the boy couldn't help but looking at the peaceful scene with a light heart.

_It seems so normal to me... and somehow, familiar..._

The horse arrived at the end of the road. Shindou looked up ahead to see light coming from behind the trees so he yanked the horse up to went through the bushed that stood in their way. He shifted the leaves away with his hand and dodged his head down from a branch before looking up too see a beautiful lake in the middle of the forest. His eyes opened in awe at the breath taking sight with the surface of the water shining brightly from the light of the sun and the soft, green grass grazing lively on the ground. Suddenly, a memory flashed back to him with the same scene he was gazing at, only from a lower point of view.

"Have I… been here before…?"

Shindou asked quietly, remembering the familiar feeling he got when he was here as a kid.

"That's right… I was lost that time… "

The image of a tiny himself found his way into the area came back to him as he climbed down from the horse and walked closer to the lake. The little boy in his memory was also looking at the mind-blowing sight in wonder. His clothes however, were dirty and ripped here and there after running through the bushes, trying to find his way back to his parents. And the tiny expression soon turned from awe back to a sad and exhausted one after many failed attempts to get home. Shindou chuckled when he remembered himself tripping over his feet and landed his face flatly on the ground only after taking two more steps. The younger shadow of him sobbed right in the position with his face meeting the grass for a few moments before slowly pushing himself up with his cheeks and forehead covered in dust and tears. The child then just sat there and cried, not even bothering to clean the dirt on his face.

"Tsurugi always said I was such a crybaby..."

The young prince suddenly halted his sentence as his eyes widened a bit when another small figure came to his mind. His expression softened when he remembered _him_… a boy with pink hair and beautiful azure eyes. That's right… that time, it was here… when he met him for the first time... and also last. His parents never let him come back to this place again no matter how much he begged. And he couldn't remember where the destination was, having a memory of a little kid. He still remembered crying himself to sleep so many times many nights on his bed, wishing he could meet that boy again. He was ten... And it had been four years ever since that day...

"So this was the forest I got lost in back then…"

_I wonder if he is still here…_

The young prince thought, silently hopping to see that small figure coming out of that small bush again just like the last time. He found his feet fixed to the ground and his eyes gazed at that particular spot only a few feet away. A part of his brain told him it was useless to wait, that the other was no longer here after all those years, but another part was seducing him to stay, telling him that maybe just a few moments later, the boy could actually come to find him once more. His body was reluctant to move away, but no matter how much he wanted to convince himself to listen to his heart, Shindou knew the real answer to his own question.

"He's not here…"

The young prince finally sighed with a small sad smile as he closed his eyes in acceptance. However, before he could turn away from the spot, a powerful wind swiftly blew pass him and his horse. The boy flinched in surprise. He squeezed one of his eyes and put an arm up to stand in his guard. The horse was startled by the sudden attack of the air so it started jumping up and down, panicking in horror. Shindou grabbed a hold of the string on the horse to calm the animal down.

"Shhh… Calm boy…! Come...!"

He had to hush the horse a few more times before he could pull it away from the spot, stopping the creature from running away wildly.

_I need to find a shelter quick… otherwise…_

The brunet tried to look around from under his arm to find a suitable place to be their temporary cover. The wind was getting stronger very quickly, but for some reason, the fog didn't go away at all. If anything, the sight around him was fading away from the thick mist. The sky became dark again with the sound of thunder echoing from above.

_Why would the weather suddenly change like this…?_

The young prince thought in annoyance, finding it harder and harder to keep himself balance under the harsh conditions, let alone controlling his horse at the same time. Just as he was beginning to regret his stubborn decision to enter this crazy forest, his eyes finally fell on a cave just a few feet away. Drops of water were starting to fall down from the black sky so he hurried to the shelter, yanking his horse along.

When they both finally entered the cave, Shindou found their hidden place wasn't at all warm either. Water was drifting slowly from above. The shades of the rocks inside made the place looked even more mysterious and they gave the young male a shivering feeling. The pitch-black color of the cave didn't help much with the situation either.

_I can't see… _

The brunet carefully took a step further inside, pulling along his clearly reluctant horse. However, his brown eyes widened a little as they gazed down at the strange feeling under his foot. He shifted his foot away to see a faded red color spreading underneath. The young prince knelled down to inspect the mark. His eyes once again opened in surprise at the uncovering.

_This is… blood._

However, before his brain could work out what the hell was going on, the horse suddenly hissed loudly and jumped up in fright again, surprising its master. Shindou stood up to calm the creature down. He looked to the source of the horse's dismay and his eyes finally fell on a figure lying on the corner of the cave.

_A person…!_

The young boy quickly tied his horse to a rock to rush nearby the body lying against the wall. The other's skin was covered in so much injuries that it didn't take the young prince long to know whom the previous mark belonged to.

"Hey, are you ok…?"

He shook the boy's body a little to see no response. The young prince then shifted the other away from the cold surface to inspect his condition. And when he realized how dangerous the situation was for the unconscious boy, he quickly took off his cape and wrapped it around the smaller body to keep some of its warmth. As Shindou was busy looking for something that he could use in his bag, the boy in his arm finally shifted a little at the movements.

"Mo…ther…"

The prince looked back at his companion when he heard the almost inaudible voice. However, he suddenly stopped when the other hazily opened his eyes and revealed the beautiful azure color of his orbs. Time seemed to stop when Shindou looked into the deep color of the boy's eyes and his memory about a certain someone immediately flashed back to him. His eyes widened even further as he found himself finally recognizing the pink locks covered by dirt and familiar face hidden under the heavy injuries. Only one image came to him as he stared at the boy in absolute awe.

"Ran…"

The brow hair boy finally let out with a breathless voice.

"Ranmaru…?"

Azure eyes wavered a bit at the sound of the name. The boy slowly shifted his dull eyes to finally meet the warm brown ones.

"How…"

He asked weakly, gazing hazily at the taller male's bewildered expression "... do you know… my name…?" And the answer was more than enough for the brunet. His brown orbs shined brightly in happiness at those simple words.

"Ranmaru… Ranmaru…! It's you…! It really is you…!" The young prince called out as he held the other tightly in his arms, not being able to contain his joy. However, his face turned to a worried one the next minute as he remembered the condition his friend was in.

"Ranmaru, what happened to you? How did you-"

Shindou stopped when he saw the other had already closed his eyes again and his body slumped down in his arms. The brunet knew the boy was in a critical danger and his body's temperature was low… too low. He looked outside and widened his eyes to see the wind had suddenly stopped and the thick mist was fading away. A thought suddenly passed by his mind.

_Did you guide me here to save him…?_

The forest seemed to response by sending a wave of feelings through his body again. However, he didn't have much time to figure out how magical this strange place was. His friend needed him now. Ranmaru needed him. And if he doesn't do anything quick, the boy will…

Not being able to bare that thought, Shindou shifted the pink hair boy's body up in his arms and ran to his horse. He climbed onto him with the boy leaning against him. After the horse walked outside the cave, rain started to drop down from the sky.

_Great… so you can't control the sky this time…?_

The young prince thought silently to the forest. He looked worriedly at the slender body in his arms.

_His temperature is too low already… but at this rate, he'll be losing too much blood, he needs medical attention…_

The brown hair boy stopped and closed his eyes for a moment to think. His hand tightened itself on the other's shoulder. He can't act recklessly now. He needed to think carefully of what the best chance for the boy is. After a while, the taller male finally opened his eyes. He laid the boy down on the horse for a moment to take his own upper clothing off. He then pressed the other body against his naked half and wrapped the cape around both of them, mostly the pink hair male to cover him from the rain.

_My heat should be able to keep him a bit longer under this rain…_

"Hang on Ranmaru… You're going to be fine, I promise..."

The young prince then immediately dashed his horse towards a small road that was opened for him and his companion by the forest with one of his arms pressed the other tightly against his chests, trying to keep the unconscious boy as close as possible to his body.

As they rushed away under the rain, Kirino opened his eyes hazily for one lingering moment with a softened expression at the sudden warm feelings…

_Who… are you…?_

* * *

**Yes… they met before as kids… Nothing screams love bigger for me than being childhood friends (or best friends)! That's why I ship them in the first place! XD**

**Ah well, if you want to know what will happen next, catch the next chap ok! ;)**

**Last but not least, please read and review! ^^ **

**See you all next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay, I'm back again! **

**Thank you so much for the supports from the reviews you guys! I'm so happy! **

**And for _Someone_'s question: Yes, there will be others pairings like TsurugixTenma. So I hope you will enjoy their moments too! ^^-**

**Well, what are we waiting for! Here your third chapter! Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)**

At the end of the peek of the forest, a young boy could be seen walking back and ford from the same spot for at least a few hours now, with a dead worried expression on his face. His horse was looking at its master too, clearly not understanding the boy's agony... After his prince went into the forest, the younger boy had looked for every way to enter the territory but all was in vain. He rushed to many towns nearby to ask for advices and help, but the villagers there were all too terrified of the mysterious land to ever dare come nearby.

So here he was, jogging along the same spot where he was parted from his senpai, being only able to depend on his trust and hope that the prince would soon return safely on his own. The poor boy was so nervous for the older male that he kept trying to force his way pass the barrier each ten minutes, but was always bounced back to the ground.

"Ouch...!"

The horse winced when the brunet crashed down again after the fiftteen attempt. He walked to the body panting breathlessly on the ground and nugded its nose at the young master, trying to tell him to stop hurting himself over and over again for no reason.

"You know I have to try..."

Tenma said with a worn out smile as he pat the creature lightly on the head. The brunet got back on his feet again and gazed worriedly at the forest. "Senpai, please be ok and come back soon..."

As soon as the words were heard, the young boy was about to turn away when he jumped at the rumbling sound coming from the forest. The thick line of mist suddenly faded away quickly and the trees grumbled their way out to open up a small path. The brown hair boy froze at his spot. He was so terrified by the unnatural movements of the forest that his legs trembled in fear and went weak the very next second. He never told anyone about this before, but ghost always scared the crap out of him! That was one of the reasons for his reluctance to go into such a dark and mysterious land in the first place. And the sight of the forest right now was screaming nothing but the thing he feared most...!

When a black shadow was seen dashing his way out on his horse from behind the road, Tenma's face fell pale and his knees finally gave up as the poor boy landed on his butt. However, his eyes widened the very next minute as the figure became more and more clear with each second. The young boy soon realized who it was and hastily jumped on his feet.

"S-shindou senpai!"

"Tenma...!"

The wavy hair male yanked back his horse for a moment when he saw his friend.

"S-senpai! W-who is that?" The younger male blabblered between his words when he saw the figure under Shindou's cape, still too surprised by the sudden appearance of the older male. His face fell even more bewildered when he saw his prince was without his full clothing underneath a part of the fabric wrapping around him and the other.

"I don't have time to explain now..."

The brunet said as he looked worriedly at the boy leaning against him. "We need to get to my East Castle, quick! My doctors are there!"

Tenma's expression couldn't get more confused at the sudden orders. But when he finally spotted signs of injuries on the pink hair male's skin, the boy immediately realized trouble. "H-hai!" Without asking any further, the younger brunet nodded with a serious expression and jumped onto his own horse.

Both of them rushed away from the place as the forest closed down its path and the thick layed of mist appeared again. Quiet sounds grazed by like a lingering goodbye from the mystical land. Waves of feelings flew through the Kirino's body as he shifted slightly against the wavy hair male's chest.

"Mother ... "

The warm word was whispered through his part lips between the rumbling noises of the horse's steps and the whistling sound of the wind. In front of the forest, the mist gathered faintly into the shape of a beautiful woman watching silently from behind as they kept dashing the horse further away. A silent tear ran down across Kirino's cheek...

_Goodbye... my son..._

* * *

Kirino could feel his conscious being pulled back from the rushing wind and rumbling movements of the horse. His body started shivering a bit when he felt the whistling power of the air attacking him, but an arm immediately responded to his discomfort and wrapped around his shoulder to pull him closer. His face relaxed again at the warmth of the body he was leaning on as his conscious faded away once more.

The second time he opened his eyes hazily at the feeling of someone pulling him down from the horse. His body fell down so quickly that he squeezed his eyes instinctively to prepare to hit the ground. But the crash never came. Instead, two hands caught his body just in time and lifted it up easily. The boy could hear loud voices from many people around him, but his body was still too numb to actually move. He peeked a gaze at the figure holding him to see a foggy image of another boy just about his age. An image of a crying wavy hair child suddenly flashed back to him but faded away the next second as darkness slowly devoured his mind again. The familiar male kept shouting his name as his eyes gradually drifted down...

* * *

_"D-don't cry...!"_

_"There...! That's better right?"_

_"What's your name...?"_

_"Here, you can have this. It's my magical stone."_

_"I will remember you Takuto!"_

Shindou slowly opened his eyes as the vision in his mind faded away.

_Was that..._

The young prince looked up from his seat to see the figure lying on the bed beside him. His expression softened as he watched the pink hair boy sleeping deeply under the warmth of the mattress.

_Yes... It was you..._

He stood up for a moment to take a seat on the side of the bed and slipped his hand under the other's palm, silently glad to feel the heat that he couldn't find when he first found his friend under that humid cave. His eyes shifted up a little and narrowed, however, at the sight of bandages wrapping around the other's slender limbs and even more lopping under the white outfit on his body. The brown hair boy silently lowered his head as he remembered the event that morning...

...

_Alongside the hall outside the prince's chamber, a figure wearing the royal doctor clothes could be seen standing with a sketch on his hand. The man was in his middle age, with blue hair and white highlight. He was wearing a frown on his face. He looked up when he heard the door open and one of his young apprentices came out from the masjestic room._

_"Master, we are done with stopping the blood and raising his body heat. The royal maids are preparing the clothes and taking care of him right now..." _

_"Good... what about the prince?"_

_"We had already checked. He wasn't injured. He had wanted to stay, but the maids insisted that he needed to wash himself first before seeing his friend..."_

_"I see..." Affer a few lingering moments, the man started to walk. The young doctor followed his master's steps._

_"That boy, he was very lucky... If it wasn't for the prince's sharing heat, his body would have frozen to death already..." _

_The master stopped on his track for a moment. _

_"Lucky?" He raised an eyebrow at the younger man. "I wouldn't call signs of chains on his body lucky. His skin also showed that he hasn't been in enough contact with the light for at least a month now. He must have been probably locked down in some kind of prison before he was found in that place..." The young man widened his eyes._

_"But looking at the deep miracles, isn't it a miracle that none of them hit any of his vital spots?"_

_"A miracle... or intentional...?" The young doctor fell silent at the comment. At first he was confused, but after he thought more intensely about the injuries on Kirino's body, a theory suddenly came to his mind. "Don't tell m-"_

_"What do you mean by that...?" Another voice suddenly came in and interupted the conversation as the two doctors turned back to see a figure standing a few feet behind them._

_"S-Shindou sama!"_

_..._

The brunet gazed back at the other's face as he lifted a hand up to touch the sleeping boy's cheek. His fingers ran through the soft and tender skin until they stopped when they came in contact with another bandage on Kirino's face.

...

_"What do you mean by intentional?"_

_The young prince asked again with a serious expression. Just what had happened to his friend? How in the world did the boy turn up in that cave with all of those injuries? He had to find out... He must know._

_The older man looked into the brunet's fierced eyes before he sighed heavily under his breaths. He looked up again and returned the other's gaze._

_..._

Shindou's fingers tightened around the hand in his palm as he bit his lips to contain his anger and. Tears slowly formed and filled the agonizing brown orbs.

_Your friend..._

The brown hair male rested his head against the other's slim shoulder. He stayed there, with his palm holding the other's hand tightly, refusing to let go.

_He might have been-_

_"_Who are you...?"

Shindou flinched and immediately looked up when he heard the small voice. His eyes widened when he saw azure eyes open slowly.

"Ran..."

The lying male looked up with hazy eyes. His tired eyes wavered lightly when he saw the young prince's face.

"Ranmaru..."

Shindou's smile softened as tears of happiness finally ran down across his face. Kirino looked back at him with a slightly confused face. "I found you... I finally found you Ranmaru... just like our promise..." Shindou couldn't stop water from flowing as he whispered out the words he had wished he would one day be able to say ever since that day... The boy put an arm up to wipe away the water on his face.

"I-"

"I'm sorry..."

The prince stopped and perked up his head when he heard the other interrupt him. The pink hair male was still looking at him, but with a sad gaze.

"Why are y-"

"I'm sorry…" Kirino interrupted again before turning his gaze away for a moment to look down in guilt. "But I…I…"

The boy struggled with his words, not knowing how to say out his mind. But he looked up again shortly after and returned Shindou's confused eyes.

"I... don't know you."

* * *

**I know I know… you guys don't like cliffhanger, but that's kinda my specialty… srr. ^x^"**

**Anyway, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well (I kinda struggled with it a bit) and please R&R! **

**See you guys next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone, thank you for all of your favs and follows, and of course, comments. I'm so happy to receive them all! I love you guys so much! v-**

**I have been quite busy lately, but I finally had sometimes to finish another chapter. Hope I did get too sloppy due to lack of practice though. **

**Well, enough of my chit chat. Please enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)**

The young prince stood silently on the balcony as he watched the enchanting hall of the palace with daunt eyes. Here, hundreds of soldiers are training intensely and their howling voices could be heard all the way to his place. However, Shindou's mind was far from being here, among the voices of the people and busy sight of the palace. In fact, right now, it was wandering around at faraway places, from the land of the mystical forest where a distant memory laid, to the space in his room, where a small figure with pink hair and azure eyes rested…

_I… don't know you._

"He doesn't remember…"

Shindou let out quietly. His fist tightened on the piece of metal. That morning, no matter how much they talked, or at least tried to, his friend wouldn't let out another word. The boy wouldn't even look at him and just stared into the empty space in front with darkened eyes. Shindou almost didn't recognize the beautiful color that used to shine brightly in those azure orbs when they first met. Where had he gone… the little boy by that held his hands out to him... the one who smiled at him and comforted him with his words…? Where had it gone… promise they made…? Or was it all nothing to him… so much that he forget everything…? Or…

_…Or was it me? _

A theory suddenly jumped into the young prince's mind. Was he the one who imagining things back then? After all, he was just a child, innocence and imaginative. Did his creativity set up an imagination that went beyond reality and his real memories… was he forcing those standards on the boy base on nothing…?

Just as the boy began to doubt his thoughts, he flinched when sound of howl echoed its way from the two towers across the other side of the hall. Soldiers stopped what they were doing and fixed their gazes at the enormous main gate of the palace.

"The general is back!"

A voice boomed in excitement. Following that was the happy cheers and sound of open gates that echoed through the air. And from behinds the gate, a tall figure could be seen riding on his horse, leading hundreds of men through the huge entrance. His long golden hair was pulled into a ponytail behind his head. His sharp eyes bore a black color, but still shone with pride under the sun. As he and his unit dashed along the hall, soldiers made way for them and roared in excitement.

"Gouenji san!" Shindou called out happily as he ran near the man.

"My prince…" Gouenji nodded a bit in respect before jumping off his horse. He smiled at the young boy. "It's been a while…"

"It's been a while Gouenji san. How was the negotiation?"

"It went quite well, your highness."

"Please, you don't have to call me so here." Shindou said genuinely. "After all, you _are_ one of my teachers..." Gouenji returned the boy's respectful look with an approving smile. This boy had been taught well, better than most of the students from noble families he had taken under.

"Where is he?" The young prince asked as he spotted the absent of a missing someone. "I thought he would be with you?"

"He was..." Gouenji said as he unpacked the luggage on his horse, patting its head slightly. "But he decided to take a short cut." An amusing chuckle accompanied that statement.

"Ah… I guess it _has_ been quite a while." Shindou said with knowing smile. He then cast a look at a certain garden a few blocks away from the hall and quiet nervous laugh was heard.

"But he's not going to be happy with me this time…"

* * *

_~At the palace Healing Centre...~_

"Ouch!"

"Stay still…"

"B-b-but…"

Fuyuka smiled before patting the young boy's head a bit, making the brunet blush in embarrassment. "You should be more careful next time Tenma. This is even worst than you coming back from training." She sighed a bit when she took a closer look to a bruise on his bare chest.

"S-Sorry for troubling you…" Tenma barely whispered out timidly, making the woman smile again.

"It's ok, it's my job as the royal nurse. But I'm not sure if _he _is going to be pleased with this though..."

Knowing too well whom the nurse was talking about, the brunet averted his eyes to the floor, trying to hide the red color that was decorating his entire expression. He then started stuttering out incomprehensible denials, making the woman giggle in amusement.  
"He's coming back today isn't he? In fact I just heard the howling sound a while ago. Why didn't you go with the prince to see him?"

"Because he's going to be mad, I know… T-that's why I come to you…" The brunet said with a pleading voice.

"I understand. But even if I treat them now, these scar aren't going away that fast you know."

"E-Eh!? But-but t-t-t-then-"

However, before the boy could even finish panicking, the smack sound of the door opening startled both of them. He instinctively turned to spot a recognizable figure: Another boy, with distinctive dark blue hair that rose up tall, together with a high ponytail at the top, mounted firmly at the entrance. His golden eyes were as piercing as blades and filled with confidence. His body bore traits of a young male, but it always stood so tall and firmly with such sense of pride that it gave out a strong aura, one that would stand out even among those of adults.

Tenma's face suddenly fell pale when he immediately recognized his friend.

"H-hi…" He stuttered weakly, but jumped when he spotted annoyance in the intense gaze the other was directing at him.

He knew that look too well. He knew this person too well...

_This, _

He thought

_is not going to be good…_

"...Tsurugi."

* * *

_Meanwhile, at somewhere distant..._

Inside the deep cave that lied steadily within the mist of the forest, rumbling noises and sounds of heavy steps could be heard echoing their ways out through the entrance.

"So he wasn't here after all~"

A husky voice was heard as a woman with long black hair and golden eyes walked out of the dark cave. Following her were two other men. One of them had a huge and firm body that was at least twice the woman's height and ten times her weight. Most of the loud noises, undoubtedly, were coming from him with his heavy and clumsy movements. The other one with long red hair, on the other hand, was thin and quiet. His feet barely made any sound as they swept through the ground. Both of them had the same color in their eyes as the woman.

"Maybe the wild animal has eaten him?" The enormous man guessed with a low voice, and immediately received a glare from his female companion. "You idiot! What animal in their right minds would eat _him_?" She snapped at him, making the gigantic man took a step back and lowered his head. His reactions, however, gave him a direct smack in the head.

"What kind of reaction was that? Are you a hunter or not!?"

"I-I…"

"God…! You can't even answer _that_ decently. What a meat bag…!" The woman grumbled in annoyance.

"Stop it." The thin man finally voiced, hushing both of his companion. "This is a waste of time… We're supposed to be looking for _him_."

"Easier said than done… This is the last place in our list already." The woman remarked, throwing a piece of old paper to the ground. On it were several destinations and every one of them were crossed out.

"There's no place else for us to look anymore. Maybe he really is dead~" Her voice turned to that of a high-pitched one again at the pleasure of imagining someone's death.

"Are you sure about that?" Another voice suddenly joined in making the woman flinch in surprise. The huge man also jumped a little when he spotted someone leaning against the trunk of the tree. The mysterious figure was small and had a body of a young boy. His expression was hidden under the shadow of the forest. The only thing that could be seen from his face was the golden color in his eyes.

"How long have you been here?" The red hair man asked calmly. But the question was ignored by the mysterious boy.

"Something is under your feet…" He stated suggestively, without even looking at the man.

The man's eyes widened a bit before turning his attention to his foot. He lifted it away and spotted a leaf crushed underneath. He looked up at the boy questioningly but only received a knowing glance in return. A moment passed before he realized it, a small red mark, almost undetectable by eyes, hidden under the crinkled plant. A small chuckle came through his lips.

"So he _was _here…"

He said as he examined the small blood mark.

"Yes…"

A few feet away, the small figure snickered too as he juggled up and down something shiny in his hand. Only when the thin man knit his eyes brow together did he realize what it was… a medal, one of the royal families. A sly smile came to the mysterious boy's face.

"And he wasn't alone..."

* * *

**Ok, some new characters finally showed themselves! YAY! And there was a hint of Kyouten here too! I know it was faint, and there's not much of our main couple this time, but I'll get to that real soon. Promise! **

**Thank you for reading, hope you guys enjoy that (and I didn't get too sloppy). And please leave your reviews ok! See you next time! ;)**


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